Every extra day a shipment spends sitting in a warehouse, or every point lost in a negotiation with a supplier, translates directly into cost that eats into a company's margin. This is why logistics management has grown into one of the most sought-after professional disciplines, appealing to business people, technical specialists and academics alike, and why the Logistics Performance Index consistently ranks logistics and supply chain training among the top priorities for organisations competing in the global economy.

No governmental or private entity today operates without a department that runs some form of logistics activity, carried out in an integrated way that applies economies-of-scale thinking, relies on information systems, and reflects how multinational firms have built a new international division of labour by splitting production across several countries - vertically across manufacturing stages, then horizontally across marketing and distribution. A specialist in this field needs a high level of expertise to direct complex supply chains that stretch from raw-material suppliers all the way to end consumers.

Who Should Attend

• Logistics, warehouse and distribution managers and supervisors.
• Executive coordinators and material managers.
• Procurement department managers and staff, together with those responsible for supplier negotiations and heads of tender committees.
• Directors and owners of large commercial and industrial companies, and general managers in public and private companies.

Programme Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Apply logistics techniques that cut the cost of services while keeping prices competitive.
• Use advances in computer-based logistics technology to standardise the flow of logistics services and information.
• Define the strategic role of the procurement department and evaluate suppliers accurately.
• Build effective negotiation strategies with suppliers, informed by purchasing-value analysis.
• Combine transport, purchasing, storage and packaging logistics in a way that saves cost and gets the product to distribution points on time and in the right condition.

Module 1: Why Logistics Matters for Cost Control

• The concept, definition and basics of logistics, and its main types.
• The importance and objectives of the logistics function, and why it emerged inside modern enterprises.
• Desktop logistics and how logistics services management relates to a company's overall development.

Module 2: Inventory and Materials Management

• Regulatory procedures for inventory and inventory reporting.
• An overview of materials and inventory management, and why materials management matters.
• Material planning, control, and how to make control of materials effective.

Module 3: Supply Chain and Risk Management

• Supply chain management fundamentals and the role of risk within a company's business system.
• Methods of risk assessment and the precautions needed to avoid them.
• The relationship between risk and an institution's policies and procedures, and the right timing for taking precautions.
• Certifying risk assessments and precautions, and handling risks that stem from corruption.

Module 4: The Strategic Role of the Procurement Department

• The link between the procurement function and the organisation's overall strategy, and writing the department's mission and objectives.
• Balancing quality, service and price, and the difference between a traditional and a strategic purchasing manager.

Module 5: Supplier Evaluation and Purchasing Negotiation

• Negotiation authority and planning, and the thirteen points of strength in negotiation.
• Reaching suitable agreements with suppliers, and the factors used to evaluate overall supplier performance.
• Ways to strengthen relationships with good suppliers and treat them as partners, and how to select the right suppliers.